PPFA calls for 100% reverification of Assam NRC

As calls grow from various organizations and civil society groups in Assam for the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be endorsed by the Registrar General of India (RGI), the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) has urged a 100% reverification of the NRC Assam draft.

The PPFA’s media statement highlighted findings by the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG), which reported over Rs 260 crore in financial irregularities during the NRC update, a process reportedly under Supreme Court monitoring. “The CAG’s findings cannot be overlooked,” the PPFA said, calling for a fair investigation into alleged mismanagement and accountability for those involved.

The Supreme Court’s recent verdict on Clause 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955—which upholds March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for citizenship in Assam—has intensified calls for the finalization of the Assam NRC. Many organizations now argue that the final NRC draft was submitted to the RGI five years ago but remains unendorsed. According to an anti-CAA group, delays persist despite the RGI receiving the final list.

The Supreme Court had, on August 13, 2019, directed that secure arrangements for NRC data be ensured before submission to the governments in New Delhi, Dispur, and the RGI. However, this directive, PPFA noted, remains unfulfilled, raising concerns about data security.

“Even after security arrangements are in place, the RGI must investigate serious allegations regarding the inclusion of hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants, reportedly aided by tampered software during the tenure of former NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela,” PPFA stated.

Former NRC coordinator Hitesh Devsarma had previously raised concerns about illegal entries in the NRC draft, believed to be individuals of East Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin.

PPFA added that certain Guwahati-based journalists, accused of lobbying for acceptance of the NRC draft without verification, must also be held accountable.

MT